Writings Held Close to One's Heart
by TheAnimeWriterLover
Summary: Letters that are sent in between all the chaos. (Pre-French Revolution Series - Part 3)
1. Chapter 1

_Monsieur_ _Arthur Kirkland,_

_I wish to thank you once more for allowing Francis and I to stay in contact with our son._

_I know that things were always tense between you and my husband. I was not sure if you would allow for us to remain in contact out of spite. Francis was sure of it, but I had my doubts. In our past meetings, you have been nothing but a gentleman towards me. Even while you fought with Francis, you never brought me into the middle of it._

_I know that you will take good care of Matthew, my son. He is a shy boy, but with a large heart. He will have room in it for you and your son. Even so, it will take awhile for him to get used to his new surroundings. Please stay patient with him and do not take it as an insult towards your being. If you have any questions that could help with his upbringing, do not hesitate to send me a letter. My only wish as a mother is for his safety and happiness._

_Due to the hasty nature of your departure, I was unable to share much about Matthew. Allow me to take the time and write them down._

_Know that Matthew has a sensitive stomach. Even though the French food are on the light side, we still had to adapt. If the food is too heavy, he tends to empty his stomach on the spot. A few warning signs you can watch out for is when he whines and curls up in the chair. It can be mistaken with a child's stubbornness against wanting to eat food. However, my son does well in trying to eat everything that is presented to him on the plate. Even if there are things that he does not like. Matthew has no allergies, so you do not have to worry about that._

_He has a bunny stuff animal that he always carries around. It was a gift that Francis gave him when we first welcomed him into our family. He cannot sleep without it. If it cannot be found before he goes to bed, he will stay up all night as result. A Matthew that is deprived of sleep will challenge you on everything and anything for the rest of the day. Fair warning, he will not accept any other toy if offered._

_Sometimes Matthew will wake up in the middle of the night. When he did it here, he always found himself in bed with myself and Francis. We are not sure why that is. He never gave us an answer. So, we accepted it and put a ground rule. He must knock on the door before coming in. We also warned him that once he gets older, he cannot continue doing that, as it is inappropriate. I am unsure if he will do that with you. Either way, do not hesitate to remind him of the talks._

_I hope that this helps._

_Take care,_

_Madam Gabrielle Bonnefoy_


	2. Chapter 2

_Dear Matthew, my loving son._

_Your Papa and I miss you dearly. We are sorry that we had to leave you with Monsieur_ _Kirkland. There are many reasons behind the decision. Know that we had no choice in the matter. Perhaps, once you get older, all can be explained._

_Know that Monsieur Kirkland will take good care of you. He will be your caretaker for the time being. I know that it's tough and scary right now. I wish I could be there to shield you away from it all. To cuddle you. To read you stories and sing you to sleep. I miss our walks in the garden. But even so, I am confident that you will find a home with him. He is a good man, no matter how scary he appears or acts. Do not hesitate to go to him for help. I know that he has a son of his own close to your age. You may even gain a new friend, or a brother._

_I regret that your Papa and I did not get around to teaching you to read and write. I am sure that Monsieur Kirkland will help you if you ask him. Send us as many letters as you want. I know that your Papa and I will write to you a lot and send you gifts._

_Your Papa and I love you with all our heart and soul. We miss you so much and hope that one day we will meet again. We look forward to reading your letters._

_With much love,_

_Papa and Maman_


	3. Chapter 3

_Lady Gabrielle Bonnefoy,_

_I thank you for your letter and will take up the offer of advice if needed._

_I also thank you for letting me know more about him to make his stay more comfortable. I only regret that I have not stayed long enough for you to tell me all of this. Misfortune befell us on the first day, as I learned of his stomach issue. He was out of it for a day but is healthy now. I made sure to let the cooks know that they needed to make him lighter meals. I have yet to run into the problem again._

_Young Matthew has been doing well. He had difficulty in getting used to the way of the English but is willing to learn. A curious little lad, that one. I have noticed that he tends to hide in my personal library. I am unsure if it is normal of him and he would not say anything about it. So, I tend to pick books that relate to the questions he has and read them to him. He appears to especially enjoy the fairy tales._

_My son, Alfred, has taken him under his wing. He has played a large role in helping young Matthew get used to things around here. I am confident enough to say that they became fast friends._

_Matthew already showed great eagerness in writing to you. I will be helping him in writing those letters until he can do it on his own._

_Best regards,_

_Arthur Kirkland_


	4. Chapter 4

_Dear Papa and Mama,_

_I miss you two a lot. I wish that I can see you again. But don't worry about me, because I'm okay._

_Mr. Kirkland is really nice. Did you know that he is helping me write this letter? I tell him what to write and he writes it. Though, I'm not sure why he is writing in English. But still, he makes sure I'm alright. I have lots of clothes and a nice soft bed. He even cleaned my bunny when I got her dirty by accident. He reads me stories before bed and teaches me a lot about all kinds of things._

_I even have a new friend. His name is Alfred. He makes sure to keep the mean people away from me. These people always make fun of me for being French. I don't really understand why it's bad that I am._

_It's cold here, much more than home. Sometimes we get lots and lots of snow, especially up north. Mr. Kirkland always makes sure I am bundled up in warm clothes and have warm soup in my belly. I really like his tea and cakes here, though he calls them biscuits._

_I made you two pictures. The first one is of Mama, Papa and I. The other is of my new friends here and even the snowman that I made is in there. I hope that they reach you._

_I love you two very much and miss you._

_Your son,_

_Matthew_


	5. Chapter 5

_Monsieur_ _Arthur Kirkland,_

_I am sure that you do not want to see a letter from me. Especially not after our foolish king helped in the revolution. But I am writing you this letter as a mother to a father. So, I hope that you will accept it. Please do not throw away the other letter, because I have a good reason to send it to you._

_I understand the pain of losing a child. It is hard and it feels like you will never recover. Your world revolves around them as you watch them grow little by little. Even now, years after you have taken Matthew. I can see in his letters the way he grows and matures under your guidance. It feels like I am losing my little boy that I loved and nurtured all over again. Even so, I can not feel anymore prouder than I am that he is._

_My son is ready to face the world, no matter how harsh it is. Even your son, Alfred, is trying to let you know in his way of the same fact. Let it bring you comfort that you have done your job and well at that._

_Even though I know of your distaste towards the French culture, you allowed my son to keep it. Even if you wrote in English for him, you taught him to read and write in French. You taught him the way of the world before my beloved and I could. Matthew still has the good and strong heart that he left us with. You have done nothing but love and nurture him as if he was your own. I cannot thank you enough for that._

_As for Alfred, he is a stubborn young man. And yet, I have heard much of his courage and love for his people. Did you know that the latest letter he sent me was about you? I have sent it to you, which is what the second letter is. In it you will find no scorn attached to your name, like you would expect. Instead, he speaks highly of you, even though he sounds upset about the war. The part that showed me how much he grew was about him wanting to walk beside you, rather than behind. He could have let you know in a better way, I agree, but you know him better than I._

_You have done well, Monsieur_. _If my beloved and I disappear soon, I will do so knowing that my son is safe with you._

_Madam Gabrielle Bonnefoy_


	6. Chapter 6

_Dear Matthew, my beloved son._

_I wish that I could send you this letter with better spirits._

_The king has done something irreversible. Against the advice, wishes and backs of your Papa, myself and his Minister, he joined in on the war. The one that Monsieur Kirkland and your brother are in the middle of. He decided he wanted to help your brother win. As result, the economy has grown worse. My people are starving now more than ever. I can feel their anger in my blood and the starvations in my stomach. For every death it weights heavy upon my soul. I fear that riots will start soon._

_Your Papa is packing our things right now. I am writing this in the meantime, as I am in no condition to help. I have grown greatly ill. It is the illness that we gain when our people are suffering. It has affected me a lot more than Papa, which I am thankful for. I am sorry to have kept this away from you, but I did not wish for you to worry about us. Not when you need to defend your land._

_Your Papa and I are leaving the palace. I refuse to be under the same roof as someone as honourless as the current French king. If we disappear after this, then let it be away from these corrupted men. I cannot tell you where we will be, as I fear that someone will get their claws on this letter. That, if they do, they would come for our heads. If we live through this, I will send you another letter._

_If this is the last one, then let me leave you with these last words._

_Your Papa and I cannot be more proud of you. You have grown into an intelligent and capable young man. We still remember you as our little Matthew. The one that always got into mischief because his curiosity got the better of him. The one that we sung to sleep. The one that we cuddled with at night when you decided to sneak in. That little Matthew will never return. Instead, he was replaced by a man. A man that is leaving his nest to build a new home, with his own hands. A man whose heart is true and strong and helps those that need it._

_We love you dearly. No matter what happens, never forget that._

_Love you forever,_

_Maman and Papa_


End file.
